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I have a little problem. I'm addicted to cookbooks, food writing, recipe collecting, and cooking. I have a lot of recipes waiting for me to try them, and ideas from articles, tv, and restaurants often lead to new dishes. I started losing track of what I've done. So now I'm taking photos and writing about what I've prepared—unless it's terrible in which case I forget it ever happened.

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Saturday, January 22, 2011

I suppose I can’t say that I’d never made popovers before. I did make mini popovers in a mini muffin tin a couple of years ago, and technically, you can make even full-sized popovers in a regular muffin tin. But, what I’m showing here today were my first, proper popovers made in a popover pan. I had clipped this recipe from Food and Wine back in September of 2009, and one thing led to another as it often does in my kitchen, and I only recently acquired a popover pan so I could try this. The effort is so minimal and the result so lovely, there are sure to be many, many popovers in my future. How often do you just whisk a few ingredients together with no need for a mixer and no complicated steps and end up with golden, crisp little breads that are so airy, light and delicious on the inside? The orange zest was an added benefit to their flavor, and adorned with a simple berry jam, they made my morning for a few days in a row.

You start with two bowls. In one of them, whisk together eggs, sugar, orange zest, milk, and melted butter. In the other bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, whisk the wet ingredients into the dry, but just until only small lumps remain in the batter. That’s it. The cups of the popover pan were brushed with melted butter, and the pan was warmed in a 425 degree F oven for five minutes before each cup was filled halfway. The popovers baked for 30 minutes and puffed and browned.

The flavor, the texture, and even the aroma while these baked, were more complex than the process of making them. I was amazed that such a simple technique produced these delicate yet crisp morning treats. They were divine warm from the oven, and re-heating them the next day and the day after that worked fine too. Now, I can set about altering the flavor or making some just plain or trying a savory version. My new pan will definitely be getting a lot of use.

Gorgeous! They have the perfect popover crowns! I've been a little disappointed in the appearance of my bouchons that I made in my popover pan. Not sure if I didn't fill the wells enough or if the batter was too dense to rise over but I've never achieved a crown. Must try again- thanks for the inspiration!

My popovers never look this popped and pretty. But then, I have only ever made them in a big muffin tin. Is all the puff and crown due to the popover pan? If so, I will also be needing to acquire one pronto. (But tomorrow morning I may just try this recipe in my muffin pan to see how it turns out).

I absolutely LOVE popovers! Yours look and sounds divine. Never made flavored ones, always stuck to the traditional ones. These are a must make. Just recently went to Tyler Florence's new restaurant in SF called Wayfare Tavern and they serve popovers versus the standard bread. Perhaps popovers are making a resurgence! :)